Current News

Changes to disability provisions administered within the Vermont State Employees’ Retirement System will ensure continuing eligibility for retirees on disability, while including a verification process of outside employment to make adjustments to retirement benefits when warranted.

“This update to the disability provisions within the VSERS retirement laws will enable us to ensure someone is not receiving disability payments while gainfully employed elsewhere,” said State Treasurer Beth Pearce. “At the same time, we are providing re-employment opportunities for retirees that are no longer disabled.”

The following changes were made as part of the miscellaneous retirement bill, Act 18, signed into law by the Governor on May 7.

• System members receiving a disability payment must annually file a statement with the State Treasurer certifying the full amount of income earned during the preceding calendar year.

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology, has launched Laughing Man coffee for the Keurig hot brewing system. Laughing Man was co-founded by actor Hugh Jackman, who continues to be involved with the brand, working closely with Keurig on its development.

Laughing Man K-Cup pods are available on Keurig.com starting June 4, 2015. The four varieties at launch include two of the Laughing Man Café’s most popular blends, crafted in collaboration with the Keurig Coffee Department - Dukale’s Blend™ and 184 Duane St. Blend.

Fitch Ratings affirms the senior notes at 'Asf' issued by Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), education loan revenue bonds, senior series 2014A, tax-exempt fixed rate bonds, (VSAC 2014A). The Rating Outlook remains Stable for both classes.

After over a year of research and development, the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (AAFM) and Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) has announced the creation of a Vermont retail stand within the Boston Public Market, opening next month. Harlow Farm of Westminster, VT will operate the stand, demonstrating an innovative public-private partnership that will open a new market channel for dozens of Vermont companies in the Boston metro region.

“Harlow’s Vermont Farmstand” at the Boston Public Market will be an important component of the state’s recently created Domestic Export program, designed to connect Vermont producers with buyers outside the state. Positioned in the heart of downtown Boston, the retail space will provide the state with a premier location from which to promote Vermont products to out-of-state consumers.

Burlington Telecom, Burlington’s only 100 percent fiber-optic network, received high marks in its recent Internet Service Provider (ISP) Customer Satisfaction Survey, a survey for all Burlington residents who pay for home Internet services. The results indicated that 85 percent of BT customers are satisfied with their Internet service, compared to competitors’ 40 percent customer satisfaction in Burlington.

"Our goal and our focus is 100% customer satisfaction," said BT’s General Manager Stephen Barraclough. "We are pleased with our efforts to serve customers, and we will continue to challenge ourselves to improve, with an ultimate goal of reaching 100% satisfaction."

With the launch of Excelerate Essex (E²) – a co-working space – Essex is open for startups. An open house at the new Excelerate Essex will be held on Friday, June 5 from 4 PM to 8 PM at 15 Pearl Street (aka Route 15), just off Five Corners. This public opening is the first chance the community will have to see the new facility and is the first chance Vermonters with business ideas and business plans will have to learn about the affordable membership structure and plans to build a community based on collaboration and sharing of resources.

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly 30 years ago, Gordon’s Window Décor was a one-man-operation. Gordon Clements would sell an order of blinds, go home to custom make the order in his basement and the following day he would perform the installation. Once business started picking up, Clements moved out of his basement to a commercial space at Fort Ethan Allen in Essex Junction. There he steadily grew his business for the next 25 years. Once the company outgrew its space, the Clements decided to move their operation to a new facility in Williston. The new building doubled its production space, provided better shipping and housed more employees. 

The Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF) announced the launch of their new Food, Farms & Forests Fund at a celebration on May 20 held at Shelburne Farms. The Fund, explained VCLF Executive Director Will Belongia, is a new capital resource dedicated to investing in Vermont's healthy foods, sustainable agriculture and natural resources “For the past twenty years, the Loan Fund has been lending for food, farms and forests. This new fund is both the rebirth and recommitment of VCLF’s energies in addressing the capital hurdles faced by emerging food, farm and forest enterprises,” Belongia told a sizeable crowd of VCLF investors & borrowers, supporters, partners and friends.

Financing of $12 million was approved by the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) to help support Vermont economic development projects totaling over $32 million. Several manufacturing expansion projects were approved for VEDA lending, as were agricultural, energy, entrepreneurial and small business projects. Businesses receiving financing include Cabot Hosiery Mills (Darn Tough Vermont), Northfield, $1.2 million; Maple Landmark, Inc., Middlebury, $742,500; and Tivoly, Inc, Derby Line, $342,765.

Maple Landmark toys

Vermont Business Magazine After the "April Surprise" for Vermont state tax revenues (a record setting month which pushed the fiscal year ahead of targets) the May numbers fell back. Still General Fund totals are more than $20 million ahead with one month left in the fiscal year. The Transportation and Education funds were near their monthly targets. The Transportation Fund remained slightly above annual expectations, while the Education Fund remained slightly below.

Secretary of Administration Justin Johnson released today the preliminary May fiscal year (FY) 2015 revenue results for the General, Transportation, and Education Funds. The revenue targets are based on the Consensus Revenue Forecast adopted by the Vermont Emergency Board on January 20, 2015.

Vermont leads the nation in promoting climate-smart natural resource management strategies. This first ever state-developed guidebook presents land managers with a menu of strategies to adjust to climate change, and according to Michael Snyder, Commissioner of Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, is a proactive service to Vermonters.

“Having our staff create strategies that prepare our forests, managers and landowners for the types of disruptions projected from climate change reflects a level of commitment and professionalism I’m proud of,” Commissioner Snyder offers of his work group responsible for the book.

Dozens of energy leaders and experts from throughout the New England region met at Brandeis University outside of Boston Tuesday for an energy efficiency conference hosted by New England Economic Partnership (NEEP), Brandeis International Business School’s Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership, and Massachusetts Business Roundtable.

The conference, “Building the Backbone of Energy Efficiency: New England’s Competitiveness, Innovation, and Sustainability in the 21st Century,” explored New England energy challenges and trends, including cost differences across the region, and the need to coordinate energy policies across the region’s states.